Who's got a porta-ledge? Who's got a Tree Boat?

simplypete

simplypete

Treehouser
Joined
Jan 6, 2008
Messages
503
Location
Idaho
I was thinking of getting one or maybe two for camping. Currently I use the minimalist approach to camping with just a square rain fly, sleeping on the ground. Kids and wife are into it. Just poking around the net to see the tree boats and porta ledges and they seem awfully expensive. Anyone have any stories or thoughts?
 
I have one of the very early versions of the New Tribe Tree Boat. The current models are much more secure to be in, having more freeboard, but my oldie is still a great hammock, both aloft or just slung up in a campsite.

I find that a hammock can be very comfortable to nap in, but sleeping overnight is hard on my back.

A Portaledge should sleep better, being more flat. But you are right, you'd think they were made of gold. I'd spend that $$ on a high quality tent and some Thermarest pads, myself.

You don't have to deal with mosquitos from time to time, Pete? A tarp with no provision for netting would be miserable if the bugs were out and about, as they often are in the mountains.
 
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  • #3
Tell you the truth Burnham, I have never bad luck with the bugs. I think a few different reasons. Early and late season camping and camping in the highest mountains in Idaho. We are usually at a high mountain lake. It's damn cold at night as I'm sure you well know. There may be bugs in the day, but at night they are not out. We've been bitten, but never enough to not like the veiw from the sleeping bag.
 
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I have a nice 4 season's Marmot brand tent and plenty of sleeping pads to go around. We use it, but for the last two years have been doing a bit more short backpacking trips and taking the square rain fly and sleeping with it up and folded halfway out of the way to see the stars and breath fresh air.
 
Sounds like it's working for you...lot's to be said for the ultra-light backpacking ethos.

As you well know, those early and late season hikes in the high elevations...well, for that matter any day in August as well :)...can end up with cold temps and snow, sleet, or hail. I won't go to the Sawtooths without a 4 season tent...seen it go from summer to winter in 6 hours too many times.
 
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  • #6
True. We are never very far down the trail with the little one being only 3 last summer. She can only go about a mile and a half so we pick and choose the places. I'm sure you are right and we will take the tent when we venture farther.
 
That makes sense, then. When you're multiple days in, it gets hard to make that tactical retreat. I can remember a couple or three times over the years when we've waited out a storm for 2-3 days and then decided to bite the bullet and force-march it out. 20+ mile days in snow and rain are tough, but you know what? It's the river fords after the levels go way up from heavy precip and snow-melt that can hurt you.
 
Minimalist? Heck, come hang out with me, I will cure you of that! :) I just went online at sierra trading post yesterday, ended up ordering a couple of those 5 gallon sun warming shower deals, amongst other things :/:
 
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Next summer we are planning on seeing how much food we can harvest from the woods. They are going to eat a lot of fish. I am going to try and set up some snares as well. The fishing I can count on. The snares will be a learning curve. Mushrooms and berry's are all over and very delicious.
 
I like packing multi use items when I go camping. My solar shower was a 10l MSR Dromidary bag that was also used for drinking water. I have never used a portaledge or a treeboat but would love to.
 
you can find old BD ledges for cheap. a single for 200 or so...

porto's are meant for a wall...single hang point. Tree use sometimes requires corners to be anchor to avoid the dump
 
With the assistance of Nick (the splicer) and i should note - he did all the technical work - we made one. started with a large rigging plate, eye-spliced 4 peices of blaze onto the plate for the 4 corners and a double into the middle for the two sides. we attached it to a Cabela's heavy duty cot. While we pulled it up in the tree and sat on it, ive never taken it out and slept in it. Ive meant too since we made it, just never had the chance. Regardless of what you use, im assuming you'd tie yourself into the tree and that i figure would be uncomfortable as well.

I took some pics of it but im not sure if i can find them. ill look and post them if i can.
 
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hmmm....I wonder if I would use it 6 feet off the ground and not tie in. I'm still looking around and seeing what's out there.
 
No kidding :).

Not to put a downer on the fun here, but one of my good buddy arbos here in Portland lost a co-worker to a less than six foot fall...broke his neck and died on the spot, during an AR practice session, no less.
 
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  • #18
make it five feet then. If you go any lower you stand the chance of getting the bottom of the ledge eaten by a goat and falling onto a porcupine.
 
I own a Tree Boat, but I would not consider taking it backpacking because it is so heavy. With the rainfly and mosquito netting (which are optional) it weighs approx twice what my 2 person 4 season tent weighs. If it gets cold at night where you are going, I would not recommend a hammock of any kind at all. You can't really put a sleeping pad into one very well (or if you do, it ends up folded and creased in wierd places so there's lots of lumps and discomfort), so you end crushing the sleeping bag between your body and the hammock so there is no insulation. It makes for a chilly, sleepless night everytime I've used one. This is why New Tribe makes the cozy to go under their Tree Boats, which is the only way I've ever been able to sleep comfortably in the cold in a hammock.
 
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  • #24
Thanks for that post Sean. I think I am going to pass on the idea, though it sounds like a good one. I will sleep on terra firma for the time being.
 
I'll second Sean's post.
I just ordered a "cozy" for my treeboat, because I fear it'll get cold in the high Sierras in june.
Last time we went there, I froze my butt off, in a 4 season sleeping bag, because of the lack of insulation.

The treeboat is fine to sleep in, if one tightens the strings holding it untill one can play Beethoven on them with a violin bow.
Otherwise it sags too much for elderly backs to be comfortable.

It has it's place ( and what a fine one it is!) in the treetops. Waking up in the top of a giant Sequoia is a lifetime experience, but at ground level I prefer a tent and a thermarest.
 
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